Accordion bellows lock



June 13, 1939. M BQLSfER 2,162,054

ACCORDION BELLOWS LOCK Filed Sept. 4. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented June 13, 1939 ACCORDION BELLOVVS LOCK John M. Bolster, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Edward Traficante, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application September 4, 1937, Serial No. 162,471

3 Claims.

My invention relates to accordions and particularly to devices for locking the bellows of an accordion in collapsed condition.

When an accordion is to be transported from one place to another, it is necessary that the bellows be locked in collapsed condition in order that the accordion will be in a rigid compact form. The usual means of so looking an accordion bellows consists of straps at the respective ends of the accordion which bridge the collapsed bellows and have various means of attachment to the box portions of the accordion. Such locking means requires the manipulation of two different straps and in so doing involves turning the accordion first one way and then another. Furthermore, these straps and the fastening means for them are located on the exterior of the accordion and may constitute obstructions which will catch on different articles or may impair the appearance of the instrument.

It is the object of my invention to provide a bellows locking device which may be almost entirely contained and concealed within the accordion.

Another object is to provide such a locking device which may be quickly and conveniently operated by means of a single control element accessible from the exterior of the accordion.

Still another object is to provide such a device disposed within the accordion in such manner as to avoid interference with the various parts of the instrument.

A further object is to provide such a locking device of simple, compact, light, rugged and inexpensive construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end View of an accordion having an embodiment of my invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a partially sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows and including full line and dotted line illustrations of certain parts showing respectively the two operated positions thereof;

Fig. 4 is a partially sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows, and showing one part of the device in operated position in full lines and in released position in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, and showing a somewhat different embodiment of 5 my invention incorporated in an accordion such as illustrated in Fig.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 'l-'l of Fig. 5, as indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 8 is a partially sectional view illustrating a modification of the embodiment shown in Figs.

5, 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows an portions of the upper box It].

The element I 3 may take the form of a pin disposed with its axis extending normally to the direction in which the bellows I2 expands and contracts.

The pin I3 may be secured at one end thereof to the cross bar I4, as shown. Below the pin I3 is a shaft I5 disposed parallel thereto and extending from the vicinity of the pin I3 to a point just within the left hand wall (as viewed in Fig. 2) of the box II.

The portion of the shaft l5 nearest the pin I3 is journaled in a suitable bearing bracket I6 secured to the box I I as by means of screws H. The opposite end portion of the shaft I5 is journaled in a suitable bearing bracket I8 attached to a conveniently located portion of the box II as by means of screws I9.

The end of the shaft I5 nearest the pin I3 is bent upwardly at right angles to form a swingable member I5a.

The

upper portion of the swingable member I5a is bent at right angles in a plane normal to the shaft I5 so as to form an element I5b adapted for engagement with the pin I3 when the bellows I2 is in collapsed condition.

tion of element I512 The outermost poris bent slightly inwardly as at I50 to form a depression between the outermost portion of element I51) and the inner side of the member I5a.

The object of this depression is to provide for receiving of the pin I3 therein in such manner that the member I5a will tend to remain in the position thereof shown in full lines in Fig. 4.

In such position the bellows is, of course, retained in collapsed condition. When the member Ha is swung to the dotted line position thereof (shown in Fig. 4) the bellows is free for operation thereof.

I provide operating means accessible from the exterior of the accordion and operable to shift the member l5a between the full line and dotted line positions thereof (shown in Fig. 4). The end of shaft l5 adjacent the end wall of the box II is bent downwardly to form a lever arm l5d. A shaft is journaled in a suitable aperture in the left hand wall of the box H and at the inner side of the wall is bent upwardly to form a lever arm 26a, the outer end of which is connected through a link 2| at the outer end of the previously described lever arm l5d. An operating knob 20b is mounted on the shaft 23 just outwardly of the outer side of the end wall of the box ll, whereby rotation of the knob 2312 will swing the arm 20a and rock the shaft 95 so as to swing the member l5ct. Obviously the bellows locking means described above may be placed in operative and unoperative positions by suitable manipulation of the knob 22.

The accordion in Fig. 5 is generally similar to the accordion shown in Fig. 1 and includes an upper box 22 and lower box 23 similar to the boxes Ill and I! in Fig. 1, joined by a bellows 24 similar to the bellows !2 of Fig. 1. In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 5, a cross bar 25 is secured to the lower portion of the upper box 22. The medial portion of the cross bar 25 carries an element 26 secured thereto and extending therefrom in a direction substantially normal to the direction in which the bellows 24 expands and contracts. The element 26 may be formed of fiat resilient material and may be bent (as shown in Fig. '7) to form a depressed portion 26a and a downwardly inclined outer end portion 26b. For cooperation with the element 25 a generally U-shaped element 21 is provided, the legs of this element 21 being pivotally connected by means of pivot pins 28 to respective ones of a pair of brackets 29 which, in turn, are secured to the lower box 23 as by means of screws 36. The U-shaped member 21 is swingable so that the upper end thereof may be swung toward and away from the fixed element 26. In one position of the member 21 the upper portion thereof rests in the depressed portion 26a of the element 26 and the two boxes 22 and 23 are restrained from movement away from each other. The parts, of course, are arranged so that the member 21 is engageable with the element 26 when the bellows is in collapsed condition and, accordingly, this engagement will retain the bellows in collapsed condition. The member 21 may be swung to a second position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. '7, wherein the member 21 is disengaged from the element 26 and, accordingly, the bellows is free for normal use.

Means is provided for swinging the member 21 between the full line and dotted line positions thereof, shown in Fig. 7. For this purpose, an arm 3! is mounted on the upper portion of the U-shaped member 21 and extends therefrom toward one of the end walls 23a of the lower box 23. Somewhat inwardly of the wall 23a an upstanding bracket 32 is mounted on a suitable portion of the box 23. Near the lower portion of the bracket 32 an aperture is provided therein and is alined with another aperture in the end wall 23a. A control rod 33 is slidably mounted in the two apertures and a bushing 34 is provided in the aperture in the wall 23a to seal the rod 33 to the wall 23a. The bushing 34 is preferably made of elastic material. A knob 35 is mounted on the rod exteriorly of the box 23 and may be used to push and pull the rod 33 longitudinally. A double armed lever 36 is medially pivoted on an ear 32a formed on the upper portion of the bracket 32. The inner end of the rod 33 is pivotally connected to the lower arm of the lever 36 by means of a pivot pin 31. A link 38 is pivotally connected at its respective ends to the upper arm of the lever 36 and the arm 3| which is mounted on the upper portion of the member 21. Obviously pushing the knob 35 toward the box 23 will shift the member 21 to the full line position thereof (shown in Fig. 7) and pulling the knob 35 outwardly to the dotted line position thereof (as shown in Fig. 6) will shift the member 21 to the dotted line position thereof (shown in Fig. 7).

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of the device. In this form of the device the member 21 and the element 25 are omitted. A tubular element 39 is mounted on the cross piece 25 in place of the element 26. The tubular element 39 is so disposed that the axis thereof is normal to the direction in which the bellows is expanded and contracted. The link 38 is replaced by a rod 40 Which is pivotally connected at one end thereof to the upper arm of the lever 36 in a manner similar to that in which the link 38 was pivoted. The right hand end of the rod 40 is slidably carried by a bracket 4| which is mounted on the box 23. The bracket 4| is positioned to aline the rod 40 with the interior space of the tubular element 39 when the bellows is in collapsed condition. With such construction it is apparent that moving of the knob 35 to the dotted line position thereof will project the free end of the rod 40 into the interior of the tubular element 39 and pushing the knob 35 to the full line position thereof will withdraw the rod 46 from the tubular element 38. When the rod 46 and the tubular element 39 are inter-engaged, they will, of course, lock the bellows in its collapsed position.

It is apparent that I have invented a novel, compact, and effective means for locking an accordion bellows in collapsed condition, this means being almost entirely concealed within the accordion structure and being easily and quickly engaged or disengaged by suitable manipulation of a. single control element.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the present invention which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an accordion having a pair of boxes connected together by a bellows and containing respective groups of reed blocks carried by the rcspective boxes and separated by a relatively small space when said bellows is collapsed, means for locking said bellows in collapsed condition comprising, a generally U-shaped member disposed in straddling relation with one of said groups and having its free ends swingably connected to the one of said boxes carrying said group and its medial portion disposed between said respective groups, a member extending normal to the direction of expansion of said bellows between said respective groups and secured at its respective ends to inner edges of sides of the remaining one of said boxes, complementary latch elements provided on said respective members and shaped for mutual engagement and disengagement responsive to swinging movement of said U-shaped member when said bellows is in collapsed condition to lock said bellows in collapsed position when engaged, and means accessible from without said accordion and manipulatable to swing said U-shaped member.

2. In an accordion having a pair of boxes connected together by a bellows and containing respective groups of reed blocks carried by the respective boxes and separated by a relatively small space when said bellows is collapsed, means for locking said bellows in collapsed condition comprising, a generally U-shaped member disposed in straddling relation with one of said groups and having its free ends swingably connected to the one of said boxes carrying said group and its medial portion disposed between said groups, the arms of said member being disposed closely adjacent opposite sides of said box, an elongated element attached at its respective ends to the remaining one of said boxes and extending between said groups generally parallel to said medial portion, complementary latch elements provided respectively on said member and said elongated element and so arranged as to be mutually engaged and disengaged responsive to swinging movement of said member when said bellows is in collapsed condition to respectively lock said bellows in collapsed condition and release said bellows for extension thereof, and control means manipulatable from a point exteriorly of said accordion for swinging said member.

3. In an accordion having a pair of boxes connected together by a bellows and containing respective groups of reed blocks carried by the respective boxes and separated by a relatively small space when said bellows is collapsed, means for locking said bellows in collapsed condition comprising, a generally U-shaped member disposed in straddling relation with one of said groups and having its free ends swingably connected to the one of said boxes carrying said group and its medial portion disposed between said groups, a member carried by and extending from side to side of the remaining box between said groups and having a portion disposed between said groups, a finger carried by said last mentioned member and adapted to respectively engage and disengage the inner side of the medial portion of said U-shaped member responsive to swinging movement of said U-shaped member when said bellows is in collapsed condition, and means manipulatable from the exterior of said accordion for swinging said U-shaped member.

JOHN M. BOLS'I'ER. 

